January 3, 2012

  • Primare PRE30, Part 12

    20 years ago, my friends introduced me to Fates Warning's excellent Parallels.  It did not sound like anything else we were familiar with.  Perhaps the closest was Queensryche.  Since late-1991/early-1992 was the grunge explosion, this was a terrible time for Fates Warning to come up with an album.  Nevertheless, Parallels kind of laid the foundation for what we now call "progressive metal." 

    Parallels sounds best during cool weather, and I would play it a lot, when I went back to UC Santa Cruz in January 1992.  Ever since then, it has been one of my audiophile staples.  In the photo above, the original 20-year-old CD is on the left.  Yes, that is the same CD I brought with me to, for example, San Francisco's Ultimate Sound.  On the right is the newer Deluxe version, which comes in a crappy digipak.  That ain't gonna last 20 days, let alone 20 years.

    All these years, we assumed that the recording itself was compressed.  The Deluxe edition proves that this is not true.  The recording actually has more space, dynamics, openness, and tonal color than we were led to believe.  And these sonic qualities, my friends, make Parallels even more enjoyable.  In addition to a remastered regular CD, the Deluxe version also includes (a) one disc with live performances and demos, and (b) a DVD of Fates Warning's hometown (New Haven, CT) concert on 2/13/92.

    Geez, 20 years ago, my home stereo consisted of the NAD 5000, Sony TAE-1000ESD, Adcom GFA-535, and Paradigm 5se.  All of the components had fixed powercords.  Even though high-end audio gear did have IEC jacks, audiophiles in general did not really know about after-market powercords. 

    My audio friends and I tried several after-market powercords on the PRE30.  Each one effected a different sound.  Does that mean that powercords have a large influence?  Does that mean the PRE30 is sensitive to powercords?  There's really no way to tell. 

    What I do know is that, for across-the-board performance, the Pranawire Satori (with Acrolink CF plugs) seems to hold up the best.  Yes, the Satori costs more than the PRE30 itself.  If that weren't crazy enough, the even more expensive Pranawire Maha Samadhi can elicit from the PRE30 a more delicate, airy, and refined sound.  For many audiophiles, the Maha Samadhi will be the "ultimate" powercord for the PRE30.

    The Acrolink 6N-4030P with Oyaide P/C-046 connectors, with its tight and focused imaging, is perhaps not the best match for the PRE30.  I have a hunch that the 004 or R1/F1 series may be better matches for the PRE30.

    Be sure to avoid powercords which fatten the sound.  Fine.  But what turned out to be a poor man's Satori?  I'd say the old Kimber PowerKord Gold, with the Wattgate plugs.